


Linger

by winterironspiderling



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Brat Peter Parker, Bratting, Dom Tony Stark, Dom/sub, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Good Boyfriend Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Lack of Communication, M/M, Miscommunication, Safeword Use, Safewords, Sub Peter Parker, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28985796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterironspiderling/pseuds/winterironspiderling
Summary: Peter takes his bratting a little too far and causes Tony to use a safeword for the first time.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Comments: 15
Kudos: 184





	Linger

Peter being bratty wasn’t anything Tony wasn’t equipped to handle, but the boy was really pushing it this week. To be fair, Peter had specifically asked Tony about it before they started the prolonged scene—Peter was going through midterms at school and extra stressed, so he wanted to let loose at home.

Letting loose at home translated to arguing with Tony about everything, whether it be bedtime, bath time, what to eat, when to eat, or complaining that he didn’t use enough emojis in his texts.

At first, Tony was having a good time since the harder Peter pushed, the harder he pushed back, and he could tell it was doing wonders for his bratty boy to be put back into his place. Peter was enjoying it, and so was he. Then a few days become a couple weeks, and it started to feel less fun. Tony missed his good boy.

Tony wanted to be able to get through a meal without hearing about how it was gross, or undercooked, or not quite what Peter wanted to eat. He wanted to have a relaxing evening with his baby before going to bed without having to force Peter to put his pyjamas on. It was starting to get exhausting, and when the weekend came, Tony didn’t have much energy to argue with Peter about whatever it was he wanted to nitpick. Instead of fighting Peter or giving punishments, Tony started letting him act up with no comment or protest.

Peter was observant and considerate even when he was being bratty, though, so when he recognized he was pushing too far, he’d ask Tony for his colour. Tony always said green, because really, what was he supposed to say? Peter wasn’t doing anything that bad, and he could handle it. He was a grown man. Was he supposed to say yellow or red just because Peter was being bitchy? That would’ve been pathetic. Especially because he knew midterms would be over soon, and because he knew Peter didn’t really mean the rude things he was saying.

Peter’s punishment options during the extended scene were being assigned 15 minutes of studying for every indiscretion or having reduced technology privileges in the name of assuring Peter did well on his midterms. He’d racked up quite a few studying minutes and had zero technology available to him for free-time use since he’d been so bad.

It seemed to be going well for Peter, at least, since every time he completed an exam, he seemed confident that he’d done well. Then it was time to study more for the next one, and the brief minutes of happiness and real discussion he would award Tony were gone, and then it was like Peter was possessed by a bratty demon. If Tony hadn’t caught the glimpses of his usual Peter—90 percent good and 9 percent cheeky and 1 percent little jerk—he would have thought he’d been replaced by an alternate version of himself that was 100 percent asshole.

On Sunday, Tony was counting the minutes until Peter took his last midterm—Monday morning. He wanted things to go back to normal. He wanted his good boy back.

Peter came out of the bathroom, freshly showered and naked, and hopped onto the bed.

In his eagerness and hopefulness for better times, Tony allowed it when Peter crawled on top of him to start something. “Please? I’ll be good. I promise.”

Tony couldn’t say no to that. Peter was dangling everything he was dreaming of right in front of his face, but Tony had to be strong and show Peter that he was the best Dom. Firm and steadfast. No way Peter was getting sex with the attitude he’d been flaunting.

Peter begged and looked downright devastated when Tony wouldn’t give in.

“You’re so mean. Never let me do anything,” Peter grumbled. “I ask you for one thing, and you can’t even do it.”

“Be reasonable, Pete. You know damn well you’ve done nothing to earn it.”

“I’ve been studying. Aced my midterms. You’ve been helping me too, making me study…Come on, please can we have sex? Please?”

Tony shook his head. “No, and the next time you ask, that’s one more day you’re going without. So ask again, I dare you.”

Tony expected to get a good back and forth going after declaring that. Peter would ask again, he’d add another day, and then Peter would ask again, and he’d add two days just to be a dick, and then Peter would give up, secretly pleased that Tony hadn’t been manipulated by his begging.

If not that ideal scenario, then at least some cute banter or a snappy comeback.

Tony didn’t expect Peter to glare at him, and he definitely didn’t expect Peter to say the one thing he’d always feared hearing the most.

“I hate you!”

It was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him. His stomach churned and this throat tightened. What?

“Red.”

Tony didn’t remember making his mouth say the word, but somehow, he managed to. He’d never had occasion to use the word before and hadn’t imagined he’d ever have to. How embarrassing that in the end, he’d safe-worded over three words and not anything to do with a sex scene.

Peter was on him in an instant. “Oh no. Oh fuck, Tony, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean that, no, I don’t hate you. No. I’m so stupid, please don’t be upset. I’m really sorry. I love you.”

Tony nodded, but he didn’t say anything. He could barely look Peter in the eye.

Luckily, Peter was clinging to him like a giant octopus and had his head jammed into the crook of his neck.

“Tony, please forgive me. I didn’t mean to go so far. You have to know it was just part of the scene, and I don’t actually hate you. You don’t have to have sex with me for the rest of the year if you don’t want to, and I promise I won’t even ask.”

Peter pulled back to look at him and seeing the wrecked expression on his face only made Tony feel guilty for being so weak. Now he’d made Peter feel like shit because he couldn’t handle a few lousy words.

Peter’s lip trembled. “You’re crying?”

Tony had barely realized he was, but he supposed it made sense. Peter telling him he hated him had felt like a knife in the heart. That probably warranted a few tears.

Peter held onto Tony even tighter. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“No, I am. I shouldn’t have said that,” Tony tried. “It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“Shouldn’t have—what do you mean ‘shouldn’t have’. I’m the one who shouldn’t have said anything. I’m the big mouth in this situation. Not you.”

“It was part of your exam de-stressing. Now I got you all worked up. I know you didn’t mean it, and it’s fine. I got ahead of myself. No big deal.”

“Tony. No. Fuck no. Nothing about a scene is more important to me than you. If I pushed you hard enough this week to make you safe-word when you never have before…I must have been a real jerk, and you’ve probably been suffering through it for days.”

Tony didn’t feel like confirming or denying. If he had to pin it down, he had been at yellow by day five and creeping up to the red ever since.

“I should have noticed and stopped.”

Tony didn’t like the hurt in Peter’s voice one bit. “Peter, stop. I don’t want you to feel guilty. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. I should have said something sooner. Let’s move on. Okay?”

“No. We’re not just brushing past this. I hurt your feelings, and we’re gonna talk about it. It’s my turn to take care of you now.”

For the first few minutes of Peter rubbing his back, Tony felt awkward. He was always taking care of Peter, and that was the way he liked it. Of course, Peter had given him back rubs and massages before, washed him, knelt at his feet while he worked, cooked for him, and a number of other things that made their dynamic a wonderful exchange, but Tony safe-wording had never been the cause of such care.

The discomfort of such vulnerability made Tony realize just how strong Peter was as a submissive. Not that he hadn’t known before, but he hadn’t known the extent.

Peter made good on his promise for the rest of the night; he was the perfect boy. Every other word out of his mouth to Tony was _love_ , or _best_ , or _sorry_.

Tony explained to Peter he hadn’t meant to let it escalate so much. He’d thought he could handle it and didn’t want to ruin Peter’s fun. He hadn’t wanted to seem weak.

“Do you think I’m weak when I safe-word?” Peter asked.

“No, never.” Tony meant it. Nothing about Peter was weak.

“There you go. Just because you’re a Dom doesn’t mean you don’t have a heart…”

“I know, baby. I didn’t want to let you down,” Tony sighed. “Especially over something so trivial.”

“You couldn’t let me down if you tried,” Peter replied, “but you realize this wasn’t trivial, right? This was a two-week scene…I think we both got way ahead of ourselves here.”

Tony exhaled. “Yeah, I suppose that’s true.”

“And emotional-based scenes can be just as serious as physical ones, so it makes sense that this happened.”

Tony pulled Peter closer to him. “We’ll do better on the communication front next time. I’ll do better. I promise.”

“And I promise I will never say _that_ to you ever again,” Peter whispered as they fell asleep. “Never. No matter what.”

“I believe you,” Tony replied. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Peter tightened his grip on Tony even more if it was possible, and Tony drifted off easier than he had in months.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear any thoughts or comments you might have. 
> 
> P.S. Peter still aces the exam lol


End file.
